


Holiday Cheer

by holloway88



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Dirty Talk, Dorks in Love, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, just a little bit, they're actually both very intelligent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2019-02-04 22:06:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12780543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holloway88/pseuds/holloway88
Summary: The Discovery has a holiday party to ease the crew morale in the midst of the war, but Paul finds he would rather be doing anything but that.





	Holiday Cheer

**Author's Note:**

> Hi yes, I love them a lot, their relationship makes me smile a lot, and I just want them to be happy.

"I can't believe we're having a holiday party, I mean, does that even fall under Starfleet regulations?" Lieutenant Paul Stamets complained to his boyfriend, Doctor Hugh Culber, as they walked briskly through the halls leading to the rec room. Dressed in casual clothing, as opposed to their uniforms, the two officers immediately felt out of place when they were greeted by loud music and a crowd of cadets and ensigns dancing. 

Hugh shrugged, "I suppose it's Captain Lorca's way of trying to boost crew moral in this dark time." he said.

Off to the side they took note of Tilly, desperately flirting with one of the Lieutenants from security detail. Paul sighed as he watched her, she was like a completely different person. So outgoing, not nervous at all, and yet still _her_. Even if she was extremely obnoxious 99% of the time, he was still proud of the young cadet in her journey to become a good officer.

Off to the other side, Michael and Lieutenant Tyler were talking in the corner, keeping to themselves while still engaging in the frivolous activities of the party. Surprisingly, Commander Saru was even present. Though he was keeping largely to himself while sipping a drink at a table. 

"Shall we get drinks?" Hugh asked, putting his hand on Paul's lower back. Surprised at the sudden PDA Paul reflectively pulled away, but relaxed when he remembered that this wasn't work. He could be with his boyfriend in public, as if they were civilians.

"Sure, anything to help drown out the noise." Paul joked. "The only thing worse than this is your horrible opera that you like so much."

"Hey," Hugh protested, "it's art, and it's beautiful." he smiled and led his boyfriend over to the drink table, where one of the Vulcans that worked in the kitchen was serving a variety of drinks from all sorts of cultures. They settled on some wine, because they weren't really in the mood to get smashed, and walked to their own little corner of the wall (which had been deemed by Tilly the "loner wall").

"I don't know why Captain Lorca insisted we come to this, he isn't even here." Paul noticed, sipping his drink.

"Maybe he just wanted us to relax for the evening? I'm not complaining, I'd rather be here than sickbay right now." Hugh said and Paul shrugged, wondering if he'd rather be here or engineering right now.

"I can think of a few other places I'd rather be." Paul said with a devious grin.

Hugh raised his brows, "Oh? And where would the esteemed astromycologist rather be?" he pondered, "Perhaps back in your mushroom farm? Or maybe back in engineering working on the spore drive?"

"Hmm, all pleasant thoughts but," Paul pretended to be deep in thought, stroking his chin playfully. "I think I'd rather be in our quarters right now."

"Oh? And what is so important in our quarters that you're just dying to get to?" Hugh asked, taking another sip to hide the blush spreading across his face.

"Well, there's this extremely handsome doctor I've been seeing."

"Oh? Tell me more." Hugh played along, grinning behind his glass at his adorable boyfriend.

Paul smiled, "He's smart, kind, and _very_ good looking." he paused for a moment and looked away from Hugh's eyes, "I love him more than anything in the universe." he said a bit quieter, obviously embarrassed. "But I think that if he was back in our quarters with me, I would want nothing more than for him to ravish me against the door."

"Against the door? How scandalous, Lieutenant Stamets." Hugh's grin was only growing.

"Mhm," Paul agreed. "I think he's into a lot more scandalous things than that, though."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Well, I do recall once time when he kept grabbing my ass at a party, pretending that it was an accident." he chided, "I kind of wish he would do it again, but I think a kiss should suffice instead."

"And this handsome doctor of yours, do you think he would kiss you in front of all your coworkers?" he asked, raising his brows.

Paul shrugged and moved closer to Hugh, "I like to think that he would, I know I would. If my handsome doctor was okay with it?"

"I think he's more than okay with it, Paul." Hugh said and smiled before leaning in to share a kiss with his boyfriend. Of course, nobody was paying them any mind, everybody was preoccupied by their own drinks and love interests of the night. (With of course the single people who had no interest in such things, and were trying to remain entirely professional for the evening.) When Hugh pulled away Paul pulled him back in, cupping his face gently with his hand and deepening the kiss.

"I'm starting to think that the doctor wishes he was back in your quarters too." Hugh said breathlessly when Paul finally pulled away.

"How long are we required to stay at this gathering?" Paul asked. "I mean, would anybody really miss us?"

Tilly interrupted them with a big grin and a loud voice, "I think that the minimum requirement for social parties is two drinks and one dance," she said with a bubbly giggle. "At least, that's what I heard. But then again you both are superior officers so maybe it's different for you, but um," and here come the ramblings. "that's what I heard in the academy, anyways, and I think that that applies to this situation. Plus, Captain Lorca hasn't seen you two yet and I don't think he'd believe you if you said you came but didn't see him."

"Tilly, how much have you had to drink?" Hugh asked, raising his brows at her reddened cheeks and huge grin.

"Ohhh, not nearly enough, Doctor Culber." she said. "I think I'll be getting another drink, though, now that you mention it."

"Get a water, Tilly!" Hugh suggested. "As your doctor, I would not recommend any more alcohol without a bit of water first." he explained, not wanting her to have the worst hangover of her life tomorrow morning for them all to hear about.

Tilly just gave them a half-smile before trotting back to the bar, leaving Hugh sighing. "I don't think she's had that much, she's just always like this." Paul reminded him and Hugh shrugged.

"A little water never hurt anybody."

And just as they were about to decide on leaving, Captain Lorca himself graced the room with his presence. Causing the party to stop and salute him, standing in ready position. "At ease, everyone." he said in a relaxed tone. "I just came to see how the party was going."

"It's going well!" Tilly shouted from across the room, Paul struggled to hide his second-hand embarrassment.

The party resumed per usual and Captain Lorca made his way throughout the room, greeting everybody and talking to them.

"I guess Tilly was right about two drinks. Shall I get us another?" Hugh asked and Paul nodded thankfully. Once he had returned the captain had made his way to their side, drink in hand.

"I see you two managed to make it, I'm surprised Lieutenant Stamets I didn't think you would come." he said with a grin.

"Oh, I knew how much of a fit you would throw if I didn't." Paul countered, taking his glass of wine from Hugh and immediately taking a sip. Things were usually tense between the two of them, of course Paul respected his captain, but they did not agree on pretty much everything.

"I think it's very nice to have an evening off, Captain." Hugh commented, smiling brightly.

The smile made Paul's heart flutter in his chest. "I suppose I was getting a bit tired of staring at the same problem for hours on end, so thank you." he said again, biting back the urge to make a sarcastic comment.

"Well I'm glad that you're enjoying yourselves." he said and took a drink of his beverage. Paul wasn't entirely sure what it was, maybe Vulcan?

"Of course, Captain." Hugh said kindly.

"I don't intend on staying that long, I've got a hot date with a sonic shower and my bed for the night." he said with a sigh. "I think it's best if we all get a break, before the Klingons catch up to us." he explained, Paul and Hugh nodded in agreement. "Has there been any progress with the spore drive?" he asked Paul.

Shaking his head he took another sip of alcohol and frowned. "Unfortunately, no. I was toying with the idea of an android humanoid to take the place of me, but the organic parts of me and the Tardigrade are what make it work as well as it does." he explained. "So unless we can stabilize the jumps without using humans, we would need to find a line of people willing to sign up to become genetically modified for the purpose of science. Which, I'm fairly confident is not legal or morally acceptable." he said with a shrug.

"Well, keep working on it, Lieutenant."

"Will do, Captain."

"Captain, could I have a word with you?" it was Michael who saved the two of them from more uncomfortable conversations with the Captain.

"Of course, if you'll excuse me." he said and dipped away from them, following Michael back over to Lieutenant Tyler.

"Well, we've had a drink and a half and even spoke to the captain." Paul said, raising his brows at Hugh.

"And?"

"And, I think that qualifies as enough social interaction for us to leave, dear Doctor." he smirked.

"Oh, and what does the handsome chief engineer want to leave for again?"

"Don't be so coy, Hugh." Paul said, "I think that there was talk of being ravished against the door? And maybe the bed?"

Hugh laughed and took Paul's drink from him, setting it down on the empty table beside them. "I suppose I did talk of that, didn't I?"

"Yes you did, and I'm expecting it in full in the next five minutes, so we should probably ditch the party." Hugh laughed again and followed Paul out of the rec room and back to their quarters, being reminded of how lucky he was to be so in love with somebody as perfect as Stamets. And Stamets was thinking the exact same thing about Culber.


End file.
